Editing Mufti (section)

===Mufti's activity (''iftāʾ'')===

[[File:Ein_Mufti,_oder_Türkischer_Pfaff.tif|thumbnail|upright=0.8|Turkish mufti (1687 engraving)]]

The legal theory of the ''ifta'' was formulated in the classical texts of ''[[usul al-fiqh]]'' (principles of jurisprudence), while more practical guidelines for muftis were found in manuals called ''adab al-mufti'' or ''adab al-fatwa'' (etiquette of the mufti/fatwa).{{sfn|Messick|2017}}

A mufti's fatwa is issued in response to a query.{{sfn|Berger|2014}} Fatwas can range from a simple yes/no answer to a book-length treatise.{{sfn|Hendrickson|2013}}{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} A short fatwa may state a well-known point of law in response to a question from a lay person, while a "major" fatwa may give a judgment on an unprecedented case, detailing the legal reasoning behind the decision.{{sfn|Hendrickson|2013}}{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} Queries to muftis were supposed to address real and not hypothetical situations and be formulated in general terms, leaving out names of places and people. Since a mufti was not supposed to inquire into the situation beyond the information included in the query, queries regarding contentious matters were often carefully constructed to elicit the desired response.{{sfn|Messick|Kéchichian|2009}} A mufti's understanding of the query commonly depended on their grasp of local customs and colloquial expressions. In theory, if the query was unclear or not sufficiently detailed for a ruling, the mufti was supposed to state these caveats in their response.{{sfn|Messick|Kéchichian|2009}} Muftis often consulted another mufti on difficult cases, though this practice was not foreseen by legal theory, which saw ''futya'' as a transaction between one qualified jurist and one "unqualified" petitioner.{{sfn|Vikør|2005|p=147}}

In theory, a mufti was expected to issue fatwas free of charge. In practice, muftis commonly received support from the public treasury, public endowments or private donations. Taking of bribes was forbidden.{{sfn|Powers|2017}}{{sfn|Messick|Kéchichian|2009}} Until the 11th or 12th century, the vast majority of jurists held other jobs to support themselves. These were generally lower- and middle-class professions such as tanning, manuscript copying or small trade.{{sfn|Hallaq|2009|p=13}}